Oopc, dual purpose burp cloth and bib

ABSTRACT

A protective garment is provided as a dual purpose burp cloth and bib, which is a flexible fabricated garment comprising fabric, paper or other similar material, of a predetermined size, cut in a rough configuration of a “C,” conceived as a protective layer, and providing excellent utility as both a burp cloth and a bib. Basic improvements to the prior art are the unique shape and the shoulder placement of the fasteners relevant to the bib utility.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is commonly know that the care of infants and toddlers requires numerous pieces of specialized equipment designed to perform various functions associated with that care. One activity common to the care of all infants and toddlers is the protection of the clothing of both the caregiver and the child from spills, spatters, and regurgitations which occur during and after feeding. The protection of a child's clothing during “messy” play is another activity often requiring a protective garment.

The most relevant prior art describes multi-purpose burp clothes, with secondary uses ranging from changing pads, to bibs, to bottle holders. The two inventions described as a “dual purpose burp cloth and bib” are U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,027, entitled “Combination Burp Pad and Bib,” issued on Mar. 18, 1975 to B. Orr, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,471, entitled “Protective Garment for Use With Feeding, Burping, Nursing, and Changing Diapers of a Baby,” issued on Oct. 5, 1999 to T. Burton. Though similar in function, the present invention exhibits substantial stylistic and component improvements, such that it performs the dual functions far more efficiently that the prior art.

SUMMARY

It is the primary function of this invention to reduce the number of specialized items needed by caregivers of young children, and to provide functional and design improvements over the prior art in each of the various utilities—as a burp cloth, as a bib, and as a play apron.

It is the extended object of this invention to provide similar improved protection to the clothing of the wearers through variations in size, contour and construction.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a protective garment comprises a front arm, a back arm, and a curved panel that connects the front arm of the garment to the back arm in opposition to create a “C” configuration, is depicted. When applied, the front arm is placed proximate to a portion of the wearer's chest, the curved panel is placed proximate to the wearer's shoulder, and the back arm is placed proximate to the wearer's back, providing improved coverage to the wearer by covering a greater portion of the wearer's upper torso compared to a typical protective garment.

The protective garment of the present embodiment may further comprise a fastening means comprised of a front fastener attached near an end portion of the front arm, and a back fastener attached near an end portion of the back arm. When the front fastener and the back fastener come together, the protective garment fastens over an opposite shoulder of the wearer. Such placement of the fastening means allows a wearer to easily fasten and remove the garment compared to the common fastening placement of most protective garments, which is behind the neck.

The bib utility of an embodiment of the present invention is dependent upon two specific elements: a “C” contour configuration and the shoulder placement of the front and back fasteners. However, the size dimensions of the preferred embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which also includes variations in size and proportion to fit wearer's of all sizes, from premature infant to full grown adult. Similarly, the variations in materials, size and proportion, greatly extend the possible uses of the present invention. For example, a significant reduction in the sizing of the garment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention adds the utility of the garment to be worn continually by teething infants, as a “drooler bib.” Alternately, an increase in the sizing of the garment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention extends the utility of the garment to adults who are unable to self-feed and to those engaged in activities requiring protective gear for their clothing. Likewise, a distortion in the dimensional sizing of a front arm of the garment, which extends across a portion of the chest, would provide additional protection for the abdomen, lap and upper thigh area, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It is understood by those familiar in the art that the description of the preferred embodiment and the variations depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So the manner in which the features of the present invention may be understood in more detail, a more particular description of the embodiments of the present invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the present invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments, in which:

FIG. 1 presents a top view of a protective garment lay flat and unworn, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 presents a view of the protective garment of FIG. 1 worn by an adult for use as a burp cloth, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B present views of the protective garment shown in FIG. 1 worn by a small child for use as a bib, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 presents a fastening means of a protective garment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present invention includes a contoured, flexible fabricated protective garment 100 cut in the rough configuration of a letter “C.” The garment 100 has a front arm 102 and a back arm 104, each attached to a curved panel 124, such that the front arm 102 and back arm 104 are opposed to each other. A binding material 110 can be applied to the protective garment 100 for comfort purposes. In a preferred embodiment, dimensions of the protective garment 100 measure approximately at 22 inches in length as measured from an edge 106 of the front arm to an edge 108 of the back arm when the garment is placed flat and unworn, shown at reference numeral 114, with an outer height 116 of approximately 11.5 inches as measured from an outer edge 122 of the curved panel 124 to a side edge 120 of the front arm 102, and an inner height 118 of approximately 8 inches as measured from the outer edge 122 of the curved panel 124 to an inner edge 112 of the curved panel 124. These dimensions of the preferred embodiment have been pre-determined as providing excellent utility as both a burp cloth and a bib for a toddler or small child. In this embodiment, the garment is fabricated from a cotton terry cloth, selected for softness and absorbency. The garment can have unfinished edges that can be bound by bias cut fabric 110, selected for its softness, attractiveness, and ability to minimize fraying, shrinkage, stretching or other distortion of the constructed garment.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as a burp cloth shown in FIG. 2, the protective garment 100 is placed over a shoulder 204 of a caregiver 202 with the curved panel 124 placed onto the shoulder 204 of the caregiver 202, such that the inner edge 112 of the curved panel 202 is placed adjacent to a portion 206 of the

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, a protective garment 100 is worn as a protective bib by a young child 302 during activities which require protection of the wearer's clothing from spills, spatters or other damaging effects. When used as a bib, the protective garment 100 is placed on the wearer 302 such that the curved panel 124 is worn over a shoulder 304 of the wearer 302, where the inner edge 112 of the curved panel 124 is adjacent to a portion 306 of the wearer's neck that is adjoining the shoulder 304. The front arm 102 and back arm 104 of the protective garment 100 then extend over a portion of the wearer's chest 308 and a portion of the wearer's back (not shown), respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the front arm 102 and back arm 104 can be fastened together on top of an opposite

Further, by fastening the garment 100 at the wearer's shoulder 310 instead of at the back of the wearer 302, as is common with most typical bib's, a caregiver is not required to move behind the wearer 302 to fasten or unfasten the garment 100, thereby adding convenience for the caregiver and increasing the comfort of the wearer, in that many children are upset by the movement of the caregiver outside their range of vision. It has also been noted that many small children resist wearing traditional bibs with rear fasteners which they remove by pulling downward from the front of the common bib. Hence, the placement of the fastening means 312 proximate to the opposite shoulder 310 of the wearer 302 minimizes the wearer's ability to remove the protective garment 100 by such downward tugging. Conversely, when worn by an older child or adult, the placement of the fastening means proximate to the wearer's shoulder simplifies placement and removal of the garment by the wearer who no longer needs to secure the fasteners behind his or her back.

In FIG. 4, a protective garment 400 of yet another embodiment can further include a front fastener 406 attached to a portion 412 of a front arm 402 of the garment 400, and a back fastener 408 attached to a portion 414 of a back arm 404 of the garment 400, respectively, as a fastening means of the garment 400. The front fastener 406 and back fastener 408 are placed on the garment 400, such that a distance 410 measured between the front fastener 406 and back fastener 408 is approximately 9.5 inches when the garment 400 is placed flat and unworn. This placement of the front fastener 406 and the back fastener 408 has been pre-determined to accommodate the neck of the average infant or toddler when the garment of the present embodiment is in use as a bib.

Whereas the preferred embodiment has predetermined materials, size specifications, and suggested uses, various embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention.

Numerous material substitutions are appropriate, dependent on the intended use of the invention. Possible alternatives to terry cloth are: any soft and absorptive fabric, printed decorative fabric (either as a replacement fabric or as an additional layer), disposable paper, and water-repellent materials such as vinyl, rubber, or leather (either as a replacement fabric or as an additional layer), or other materials, as yet conceived.

As to the front and back fasteners, alternative closures such as metal snaps, buckles, hook and loop tape or ties, or other devices as yet conceived, may be used.

As to the edge finishing, various finishes, such as heat sealing, sewn edging, pressure sensitive tape, or other methods, as yet conceived, may be substituted. 

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A protective garment for a wearer, comprising: a front arm for placement proximate to a portion of a chest of the wearer; a back arm for placement proximate to a portion of a back of the wearer; a curved panel for placement proximate to a shoulder of the wearer, wherein the curved panel connects the front arm in opposition to the back arm to create a c-contoured configuration; and a fastening means for fastening a portion of the front arm to a portion of the back arm, wherein said fastening means is placed such that the fastening occurs at an opposite shoulder of the wearer.
 18. The garment recited in claim 17, wherein the fastening means comprises a front fastener and a back fastener, wherein the front fastener attaches to an end portion of the front arm and the back fastener attaches to an end portion of the back arm.
 19. The garment recited in claim 17, wherein the fastening means is selected from the group consisting of a hook and loop tape, a pressure snap, a buckle, and a tie.
 20. The garment recited in claim 17, wherein the garment is sized dimensionally to fit a young child.
 21. The garment recited in claim 17, wherein the garment is sized dimensionally to fit an adult.
 22. The garment recited in claim 21, wherein the front arm is sized dimensionally to cover a wearer's chest and abdomen.
 23. The garment recited in claim 21, wherein the front arm is sized dimensionally to cover a wearer's chest, abdomen, lap, and upper legs.
 24. The garment recited in claim 17, wherein each of the front arm, the back arm, and the inside curved panel further comprise a plurality of material layers.
 25. The garment recited in claim 24, wherein one of the material layers is a water repellant material.
 26. The garment recited in claim 24, wherein one of the material layers is a decorative fabric material.
 27. The garment recited in claim 24, wherein one of the material lawyers is a biodegradable material.
 28. A bib to be worn by a young child comprising: a front arm for covering a chest of the child; a back arm for covering a back of the child; a curved panel for covering a shoulder of the child, wherein the curved panel connects the front arm in opposition to the back arm to create a c-contoured configuration; and a fastening means for fastening a portion of the front arm to a portion of the back arm, wherein said fastening means is placed such that the fastening occurs at an opposite shoulder of the child and comprises a front fastener and a back fastener; wherein a length of the bib measures approximately 22 inches as measured from an edge of the front arm to an edge of the back arm when the bib is laid flat and unworn, wherein an outer height of the bib measures approximately 11.5 inches as measured from an outer edge of the curved panel to a side edge of the front arm, wherein an inner height of the bib measures approximately 8 inches as measured from an outer edge of the curved panel to an inner edge of the curved panel, wherein a distance between the front fastener and the back fastener measures approximately 9.5 inches as measured when the bib is laid flat and unworn.
 29. A protective garment for a wearer, comprising: a front arm for covering a chest, an abdomen, a lap, and an upper thigh area of the wearer; a back arm for covering a portion of a back of the wearer; a curved panel for covering a shoulder of the wearer, wherein the curved panel connects the front arm in opposition to the back arm to create a c-contoured configuration; and a fastening means for fastening a portion of the front arm to a portion of the back arm, wherein said fastening means is placed such that the fastening occurs at an opposite shoulder of the wearer. 